


Coach Me

by ellie_stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bottom Harry, Clumsy Harry, Cute Harry, Dom Louis Tomlinson, Dom Louis Tomlinson/Sub Harry Styles, Fluff, Football, Football | Soccer Captain Louis Tomlinson, Happy Ending, Harry Styles Wears Flower Crowns, M/M, Possessive Louis Tomlinson, Smut, Sub Harry, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Top Louis Tomlinson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:20:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29826261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellie_stylinson/pseuds/ellie_stylinson
Summary: A College AU where Harry is set on finally talking to the boy he's been hopelessly crushing on for the last 2 years. When he tries out for Louis' football team, things don't exactly go his way, but maybe he'll succeed after all. All it takes is a little bit of coaching.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 17





	Coach Me

The ground is littered with damp, fallen leaves, emitting a satisfying crunch under his boots as he headed to college. Harry has always loved the beginning of autumn, loved watching as the sun shone but the days slowly led toward the inevitable colder weather ahead, each nightfall coming sooner than the one before.

The halls are crowded with people, and the chaos is so perfect, like a movie. Harry immediately scans the faces, some of which he recognises well. He towers over most people, searching in the mass for Niall, despite the fact that he is sure the Irish lad has most definitely slept through all of his alarms.

Harry waits by his locker for a little while, pulling out his phone for no specific reason other than to look busy, silently cursing his best friend for being late on their first day back. After a couple of minutes consisting of Harry scrolling aimlessly, he glances up, running a hand through his hair, brushing the curls from his face and looking around briefly.

Harry does a double take as he spots the one person he has been dying to set his eyes on throughout the whole summer. He is hurriedly grabbing books from his locker, seemingly engaged in a heated conversation with someone, who Harry knows to be his Louis' best mate Zayn.

He's had a huge, hopeless crush on Louis for over two years and his infatuation definitely didn't seem to be dwindling. If Harry had thought the boy looked good before summer, he was completely unprepared for the sight before him now. It seemed that now, Louis was owning his stubble more, his hair was a little longer, swept artfully across his forehead. His lips were a soft, natural pink and full, almost like a girl's, but they look a lot better on his face than they would on any woman. His eyebrows are furrowed, pulled together in concentration over enchanting, bright eyes.

It takes Harry a moment to realise that Louis is looking over at him, blue eyes trailing over his body in a way which made his hairs stand on end. An embarrassed flush heats his cheeks as he forces himself to look away, scolding himself for being so bashful when Louis' eyes are on him. He wants to talk to Louis, always has, but he knows the chances of him embarrassing himself are very high. He's clumsy and awkward, Louis is popular, the football team captain and so far out of Harry's league.

As he turns, he comes face to face with Niall, who's panting and out of breath.

"Staring again?" Niall smirks, very accustomed to teasing Harry mercilessly over his infatuation with the brown haired boy, and his slightly stalkerish tendencies. Harry groans as Niall claps him on the back. "I don't know why you've not actually spoken to him mate, he probably thinks you're weird enough as it is."

Harry narrows his eyes and his lips purse as he chews at the inside of his cheek, contemplating whether he really should just go for it. "It's not that I don't want to, I just- I haven't had the opportunity." He sighs as they rounded the corner on the way to their first class.

"Well you better get to it, you do realise this is the last year for your 'opportunity' to appear" Niall scoffs, putting emphasis on the word "opportunity". He doesn't see why Harry can't just speak to Louis in the halls, instead of staring longingly at him like an idiot. He knows he's not the only one who remembers Harry tumbling to the floor after he tripped over his own feet whilst staring at Louis. Niall swore he could see him drooling. He shakes his head disappointingly at the memory.

"Anyway I'm gonna tryout for the footie team after school today," Niall says, opening the door to their classroom and heading toward the spare couple of seats near the back. "You should come and watch you know, Louis is running the tryouts. He'll definitely be there and you can pretend you're not drooling over him in his footie kit." Harry rolls his eyes and throws his arm out half-heartedly, smacking Niall on his arm.

"Maybe I will" Harry huffs indignantly, knowing full well there's no way he'd miss a chance to see Louis playing football, especially since he has a plausible reason for being there if he gets caught staring.

Class starts and Harry begins copying all the notes he can see on the whiteboard. As he does that, he can't help but contemplate whether he should try talk to Louis during the tryouts. But what does he talk about, Louis doesn't even know who he is. Harry's bound to make it awkward and he doesn't want to ruin all his chances.

Abruptly, in a revolutionary moment, Harry realises that he could just tryout with Niall, it would give him the perfect opportunity to actually talk to Louis. Sure he's never played football before, but how hard can it be right. The rest of the lesson he spends psyching himself up. He really can't be that bad at football, it looks quite easy really. Maybe he'll impress Louis. He can only hope.

\------------------------------------------------------

Entering the canteen, Harry spots his friends sitting at a table near the back. Walking over with a spring in his step, curls bouncing dramatically around his face, he places his tray down and sits in between Niall and Perrie.

"I can try out with you!" he exclaims, grinning like a lunatic.

Niall stares at him, his mouth gaping before he bursts out laughing, doubling over and clamping his arms around his stomach. Harry pouts, wondering why he's being laughed at.

"You mean the football tryouts?" Perrie inquires. Harry nods at her, ignoring Niall. He looks at her expectantly. It's a genuinely good idea. However mere seconds later, she bursts into laughter beside Niall, both of them laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Harry asks confusedly, watching as they're hunched over in silent laughter. He really doesn't see what's so amusing.

"Mate are you serious," Niall pants trying to catch his breath, "I'm all for you finally talking to the guy Haz, but I really don't think this is the best way to go about it." Really he does mean well, he knows Harry wouldn't do well anywhere near a football, he can't even stay upright when he's standing normally. Harry attempting any type of sport, flailing his long, uncoordinated limbs around surely wouldn't be good for anyone, however Harry is intent on his plan.

"You do realise you have to be really good to get on Louis' team, it's literally what he's known for." Perrie tells him between her laughter.

"Whatever," Harry says defensively "I can at least try and I think this is a good idea, I really feel like this is my chance."

"Not your spiritual shit again Haz, but if you really think so then go for it" Niall states, wiping at his eyes, glancing at Perrie who was still immersed in uncontrollable laughter. "At least I'll be there to laugh at you, not that I want you to embarrass yourself or anything, obviously"

"Yeah, obviously" Harry mimics, sticking out his tongue.

\------------------------------------------------------

Harry's eyes are glued to the second hand of the clock in English class, watching as it ticks past each mark at an unbearably slow pace. The warm sunshine that is streaming through the classroom window is doing nothing to help his concentration as he sits, fidgeting in his seat, trying to pay attention. The teacher's monotone voice drones on about some men who fought in a battle hundreds of years ago .

He looks at his notebook. The last line he has written on the page ends in nonsensical words before it becomes a straight line that runs off the page. He tries to focus on what the teacher is currently saying only to realise that she has moved on to another topic.

The teacher is talking about the Russian Civil War. She says something that might sound vaguely interesting, but he doesn't catch it. After a while the second hand on the clock passes over 12. Another minute gone Harry thinks, groaning internally and tapping his boot against the floor, creating a dull sound and chewing on the end of his pencil.

Seemingly hours later, the long shrill of the bell sounds and Harry's immediately springing from his chair, throwing all of his books into his bag carelessly. He throws it onto one of his shoulders and bounds out of the classroom.

He doesn't know where this sudden sense of confidence he seems to have gained came from but he is in no position to complain, so he heads straight to the locker room to meet up with Niall. He really has to try and impress Louis so he'll let him on the team.


End file.
